


No Sale

by ImagineMystrade



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cars, F/M, Finnrey Friday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-09
Updated: 2016-09-09
Packaged: 2018-08-14 03:00:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7996108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImagineMystrade/pseuds/ImagineMystrade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Finn is Sales Operative 2187 at First Order Autos, a shady car dealership. His first day on the lot, he's conflicted when his beautiful customer wishes to buy one of the dealership's fricked-up vehicles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	No Sale

**Author's Note:**

> For the word prompt "I can't do it" for this week's Finnrey Friday.

“Hey, you’ll thank me later! She’s hot! Probably won’t make a sale, but play it right and you might get her number. Plus, it’ll give you a chance to try out your pitch for the first time.” Nines elbowed Finn and laughed. “First round tonight’s on you, Eight-Seven!”

Finn, Sales Operative 2187, sourly watched Nines go to another part of the First Order Autos car lot where a wealthy-looking man was studying one of the new-model coupes. He glanced over at another area where Zeroes was working an older woman of distinguished appearance who was looking over a bright-red roadster. First Order Sales Operatives were dotting the lot with Phasma supervising on the margins. It was unusually busy that day, and there wasn’t even a financing deal going on.

Finn sighed deeply. He’d had the training. He’d had the “talk.” He needed the work, but he knew deep in his gut that what he was being told to do was wrong. Underneath those nice exteriors, every single car was a piece of garbage. First Order Autos had the easiest financing deals in the area, and for good reason. Under the sales contract double-speak was the “real” fine print that stated no returns and triple monthly payments. People could go bankrupt buying vehicles that wouldn’t last six months.

Finn had heard that some people _had_ gone bankrupt, in fact. Slip had said so after Finn had accepted the job and gone through training. Finn had wanted to run then, but he had bills, no friends and fewer options. And now he didn't even have the comfort of Slip. He had been fired a week ago and now had gone off the grid, even changing his cell number. That left Finn utterly alone, in a strange city, and in a job where he was expected to push substandard goods with a beaming smile.

He looked over to where a young woman was studying a small white sedan with orange accents. Finn knew why Nines had left her to him. At First Order, young, single women were considered to be “nosales.” They came to look, mostly, but not to buy, unless they were with parents looking to gift them with a new car. Finn didn’t think that seemed completely correct, but Phasma swore the data bore it out, and she cautioned Sales Operatives not to waste too much of their time on “nosales.” They worked on commission and the main goal was to sell as much as they could.

Finn had to admit a certain logic to Nines’ statement. It was his first day on the lot after copious amounts of training at the hands of Phasma. The young woman probably wouldn’t buy anything, but Phasma wouldn’t bitch at him for it, since it was his first go-round. Plus, Finn acknowledged, the woman _was,_ indeed, hot. She was not much shorter than he was, had brown hair, and a slender but athletic build. She was dressed casually, almost like a college student on break, and she seemed racked with indecision as she looked from the orange-and-white sedan to a silver, slightly bigger car next to it.

Pumping up his “professional” smile, Finn approached her.

“Hi! Welcome to First Order Autos. I’m Finn.”

He smiled wider when she turned to look at him. Up close, she was even prettier. Her eyes were light brown and she had the type of face you saw in paintings of fairy tale princesses.

“Hello! I’m Rey.” She held out her hand. “I know you all are so busy today, but I’m really interested in this car. Can you tell me about it?”

Finn glanced at the white-and-orange sedan and tried to recall what he’d been told about it. He was drawing a blank, but if it was like the other models he'd sold, then the engine was substandard and the brakes “did what they wanted to do.”

“Uh, right. This is a BB model. Very popular.” He found his smile wavering. “They’re, uh, good for city living, but fine out in the burbs, too. Do you, uh, live in town?”

“Yes! Right downtown. I lucked out with a building that has a parking garage underneath.” She squinted down at the hood. “I’m taking classes at the university and I’ve heard a lot of my classmates talking about the great deals they’ve gotten here, so I thought I should come by.”

Finn grimaced. First Order had a “Back To School” promotion a few weeks earlier. By Fall Break, those students would be cursing those “great deals.”

“I’m working and going to school,” explained Rey. “I need reliable transportation. I saved up the money from my summer internship and I have just enough for the down payment.”

“Oh. Nice.” Finn swallowed hard. “Uh, what was your internship?”

“I was working at Force Foundations, a local building firm that builds portable shelters for the homeless.” She flashed her amazing smile again. “Maybe you saw our TED Talk?”

“Uh, probably not.” Finn felt his stomach knot up. “That’s really cool. So, what are you studying in school?”

“I’m doing environmental and mechanical engineering,” said Rey. “I hope to work more with the homeless and also help people in developing nations.”

“That’s really nice.”

Finn eyed the crowd nervously. Phasma was over at the red speedster where the distinguished woman had been joined by a grey haired, grey-bearded man in a shirt that seemed too warm for the weather. The man and woman were talking animatedly. If it was Finn’s guess, the woman wanted the car and the guy was trying to talk her out of it. Phasma was smiling blandly, ready to jump in at the right moment to clinch the sale.

“Are you in school?” Rey asked him.

“I _was_. Couldn’t afford tuition for this semester, though,” said Finn sadly. “I’m, uh, working so I can get started up again in the Spring maybe.”

“Oh.” Rey looked sympathetic. “I’m almost in the same boat. I managed to scrape up tuition, thanks to my internship. I’m doing whatever gigs I can to keep up. I figure getting a car will be a good investment since I’ll be able to travel more and maybe pick up more work.”

Finn could only nod. Rey had bust her ass over the summer, and was just as much a broke student as he, and she was going to sink her hard-earned cash into a useless car. And he was supposed to take her money with a smile.

“Can we take this one out for a test drive?” asked Rey, looking fondly at the little white car. “It’s just in my price range. I even brought the paperwork for the bank draft.”

Finn couldn’t talk for a minute. The odds had gone against Phasma. Here was a young, single woman, ready, willing and able to buy a car. And he, Finn, Sales Operative 2187, had the opportunity to clinch a sale on his very first time out on the lot. He quickly calculated the commission he’d receive. It would be enough for rent, and a little left for his school fund …

But then he looked at Rey, who was again smiling at him, seemingly happy that she’d found a car that she could afford. He thought about the work she had done and how hard she wanted to work just to stay in school and help others …

But _he_ needed a roof over his head. And food! First Order was a sham, but that wasn’t really his fault. Maybe even this car would be okay for awhile. Sometimes people had luck that way. The BB models _were_ supposed to be pretty good.

Finn wrestled with his conscience for a moment. He smiled into Rey’s pretty eyes.

“A test drive? Sure. I need to get the keys from the office. Wait right here, okay?”

He walked off toward the office. When he got in the shadow of the building, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Where are you going, Operative 2187?”

Finn gulped and turned around. Phasma was staring down at him in mild disapproval.

“The customer wants to take a test drive, Ms. Phasma.”

Phasma shook her head. “Tell her that we’re too busy. There’s too much rich blood on the lot to waste time with a nosale.”

“She’s ready to buy, Ms. Phasma,” said Finn. “She has the bank transfer papers with her.”

“Oh, really?” Phasma’s face softened. “Must be one of the rich girls from the other side of the gulf. Usually they come hand in hand with mummy and daddy. I suppose this one is more independent. Which car?”

“It's a Series 8 BB model.”

“I'll never understand what young people see in that car. I thought we’d gotten rid of the last one a month ago.” Phasma smiled sweetly. "At any rate, good work, Operative 2187. A sale on your first try. I thought I saw talent in you. Why you wasted your time alongside that loser Slip is beyond me.”

She clapped him on the shoulder and sauntered back to where the distinguished woman and the bearded man were still talking next to the red roadster. Finn’s cheeks flamed. He remembered how excited Slip had been about the job, and how devastated he’d been to be tossed aside like garbage when he didn’t meet his sales quotas. And now who even knew where he was or if he was okay?

His face still burning, he marched into the office, nodding at the man at the desk.

“Getting the keys for a test drive. Ms. Phasma OK’d it. The BB-8 out on the lot.”

The man nodded without interest. “Yeah, sure. Saw you talking to her. You know where the keys are. The ones you want should be marked.”

Finn nodded back and when into the little alcove where the keys were kept. After a moment’s indecision, he opened the drawer and rattled around in the pile of keys, all while taking off his name badge.

“Fuck it,” he whispered to himself. “I can’t do this.”

After another minute, he closed the drawer and walked past the man at the desk.

“Got what you’re looking for?”

“Yep, thanks.”

Finn tried not to look hurried when he rejoined Rey, who was waiting patiently at the side of the car.

“Ready to go?”

He looked over across the lot. Phasma was now talking to the bearded man, putting on all her charm. Now was the chance.

“No. Don’t buy anything here.”

Rey’s eyes widened. “What? But –”

“Sh! Not so loud. I’m being serious.” Finn was speaking quickly. “It’s all junk. The deals just cover up the fact that when it breaks down, and it will, you can’t fault First Order. I can’t be a part of this. It’s shit. I won't steal for them. I’m done with the First Order. I quit. I’m out of here.”

Rey didn’t say anything.

“I need money, but I won’t do this for it. It never sat right with me, but they show you ways to rationalize it. But I won’t do it,” said Finn. “Don’t waste your money. I don’t know if you believe me or not, but it’s the truth.”

“I believe you,” said Rey, in a surprisingly level voice. Finn was taken aback, but he recovered quickly.

“Great. Good. Look, I have to go. If Phasma finds out I told you …” he let the sentence trail off. “Could you stall just a little while so I can get a head start out of here? You could say I said I suddenly felt sick and needed the bathroom, or …”

“Finn, there’s no need for that,” said Rey in that same calm voice. “Look.”

Finn looked over at where Rey had nodded her head. Phasma, looking triumphant, was leading the woman and man to the office, presumably to sign a deal.

“Yeah, I’m sorry for them, but there’s nothing I can do about that now…”

“Don’t be sorry for them. Be sorry for all those who participated in this fraud.”

Now Finn’s eyes went wide. “What?”

“I’m with Resistance Investigations,” said Rey, smiling. “We’ve heard all about the First Order and its car and contract fraud. We were commissioned by the Attorney General’s office to take a look. We didn’t have a connection until yesterday, and we needed someone to make a sale before we could swoop in and get the arrests going.  Everyone we need is already out here, in position. That couple that the blonde woman just took inside? That’s my dad and my aunt. Once they sign the papers, they’ll give the signal and everyone on this lot connected with First Order will be arrested. They’ll have a _long_ time to ponder their life choices.”

Finn gave a cursory look around. “So, wait a minute, all the customers here are private investigators?”

“Well, some are. Others are undercover police officers who’ll actually make the arrests.”

Finn gave her a shaky smile. “Don’t suppose I could still get that head start, huh?” He figured it wouldn’t matter. They had his address in the personnel files. Wonderful – he’d be arrested and he hadn’t even made a single sale!

Rey gave him an odd look. “You? Why would you need a head start? You’re not going to be arrested.”

“But you just said everyone who works for First Order is going to be grabbed.”

“That’s true.” She nodded. “But you said you quit, right?”

Finn eyes were large. “I … yeah.”

“And you quit before my dad and aunt signed their contract … so you were _not_ under the employ of First Order when the fraud was definitively discovered.” Rey smiled. “You’re off the hook.”

Finn didn’t smile back. “Why are you being so nice to me? I was here. I … took this job. I knew what it was about.”

“Okay. But at the moment of truth, you didn’t do it.” Rey laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. “You tried to warn me, knowing that doing so could expose you to your boss's wrath. And you never defrauded anyone. I know that this was your first time out here. I was your first mark. I offered it to you on a platter, and you still didn't take the bait. You’re a good man, Finn. Slip said you wouldn’t go for it.”

“Slip?!” Finn’s eyes fixed to Rey’s. “You know Slip?”

She nodded. “He was our missing link. He came to our office after he heard about that family that nearly fell down the ravine in one of these awful things. We knew First Order was moving bad cars, but we didn’t know if the people at the top _knew_ they were bad. Slip gave us what we needed to move in. He said today would be your first day and he didn’t think you’d be able to cheat people out of their money. I decided that I’d be your target.”

“So you asked Nines for me to be your Sales Operative?”

“No, Slip told us all about the so-called 'nosales,' which is why I made sure to come in alone,” explained Rey. “He just told me to try to get the attention of the handsomest guy on the lot. That was pretty much a no-brainer, so …”

“Oh.” Finn felt his cheeks get warm. Rey was blushing, too, but she was smiling. “Slip’s … a really good friend. Is he okay?”

“He’s fine. He’ll testify in exchange for not getting prosecuted as a part of the fraud,” she said. “Oh, look. My dad’s coming out now. The papers have been signed.”

Finn turned his head in time to see the bearded man do … _something_ with his hand that almost seemed like a magic trick. At once, the “customers” stopped milling around and several of them produced handcuffs, grabbing Sales Operatives left and right. In the midst of the hubbub, the distinguished looking woman came out, leading a sullen Phasma, whose dark cape covered the handcuffs she wore.

A dark-haired man approached, looking from Finn to Rey questioningly. “Everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine, Poe,” said Rey. “This is Finn. Finn, Poe Dameron, one of the Resistance’s top investigators.”

Finn shook the man’s hand. “Uh, hi.”

“So this is Finn?” Poe smiled broadly. “I take it he didn’t fall for it?”

“Quit, and then told me not to waste my money.” Rey looked at Finn with more than casual interest. “So Slip was right.”

“Sounds like it. Me and Snap’ll clean up. Finn, nice meeting you. Good luck!”

“Well, I think this will be wrapping up shortly,” said Rey when Poe had left again. “Do you want … to get lunch or something? I'd love to talk to you more, and I may have some leads on a few jobs, if you're interested.”

“Yeah. Lunch sounds really good.” Finn sighed softly. “There’s a bus into town that leaves in about 15 minutes. I don’t have a car right now. Usually carpool with Nines. But …” He looked at Nines, who was being loaded into an unmarked van. “I think his ride is going to be unavailable for a while.”

“We could go into town right now, if you wanted,” said Rey. “I’m driving.”

“Oh! Cool.” Finn looked vaguely around the emptying lot. “Did you park outside the lot?”

“Nope!” Rey laughed softly. “That’s another way that I knew that you were either going to turn out to be the great guy I thought you were, or just like these clowns. I was waiting to see what you’d say about taking a test drive.”

“Why? What difference would that have made?”

Still laughing, Rey took out her keys and gestured toward the white-and-orange sedan. “This is _my_ car!”


End file.
